The Political Dynamics of Justice Reform in The U.S.
The Political Dynamics of Justice Reform in The U.S.
The Political Dynamics of Justice Reform in The U.S.
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"Like every public <strong>of</strong>ficial, the district attorney and his policies are subject to scrut<strong>in</strong>y,"<br />
he said. "While we respect the views <strong>of</strong> the local academics who signed this letter, and<br />
we welcome and appreciate all good-faith criticism <strong>of</strong> Inquirer coverage, we stand by<br />
our depth <strong>of</strong> report<strong>in</strong>g on gun violence <strong>in</strong> Philadelphia.<br />
"Our reporters, columnists and the editorial board have been fair, accurate, and<br />
thorough <strong>in</strong> cover<strong>in</strong>g this critically important issue.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> letter from the academics can be read <strong>in</strong> its entirety below:<br />
Dear Stan Wischnowski, Editor, and the Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Staff:<br />
We are 24 faculty members at Philadelphia area universities and colleges, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Pennsylvania, Temple, Villanova, St. Joe’s, and Rutgers. We are<br />
respond<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>The</strong> Philadelphia Inquirer’s recent report<strong>in</strong>g on shoot<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> the city.<br />
Rather than honestly report<strong>in</strong>g on gun violence and its causes and solutions, this str<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>of</strong> stories is rife with mislead<strong>in</strong>g claims that risk stok<strong>in</strong>g unfounded fear over crim<strong>in</strong>al<br />
justice reform.<br />
Local journalism provides the framework through which people assess whether their<br />
communities are safe and their justice system is fair. Reporters should state facts<br />
accurately and provide the public with sufficient context from which to draw <strong>in</strong>formed<br />
conclusions. That <strong>of</strong>ten requires us<strong>in</strong>g evidence and data to dispel, and not exacerbate,<br />
fear-driven narratives around crime, especially those that emerge soon after violence<br />
like Philadelphia recently experienced.<br />
But several recent Inquirer stories do not provide that necessary context. Instead, they<br />
uncritically repeat criticisms <strong>of</strong> Krasner, stra<strong>in</strong> to connect his policies on bail and drug<br />
reform to a spike <strong>in</strong> shoot<strong>in</strong>gs over a s<strong>in</strong>gle weekend, and bury facts, <strong>in</strong> order to drive<br />
home the false narrative <strong>of</strong> a Philadelphia that is gett<strong>in</strong>g less safe thanks to crim<strong>in</strong>al<br />
justice reform policies – especially those that District Attorney Larry Krasner was<br />
elected to enact.<br />
One story, for example, quotes U.S. Attorney William McSwa<strong>in</strong>.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>re’s not the accountability that there used to be,” he says. “If there’s no<br />
accountability, the worst types <strong>of</strong> crimes are go<strong>in</strong>g to go up. I th<strong>in</strong>k that’s self-evident.”<br />
But McSwa<strong>in</strong> opposes the very concept <strong>of</strong> prosecutors us<strong>in</strong>g their authority to stem the<br />
tide <strong>of</strong> mass <strong>in</strong>carceration, and he has long criticized Krasner’s decisions to not demand<br />
cash bail for certa<strong>in</strong> charges and to seek shorter prison sentences.<br />
<strong>The</strong> story <strong>in</strong>cludes a reply from Krasner call<strong>in</strong>g McSwa<strong>in</strong>’s assertion “fact free,”<br />
but omits research that largely supports these reform policies and certa<strong>in</strong>ly doesn’t l<strong>in</strong>k<br />
them to <strong>in</strong>creased violence. It’s not clear why the reporter would allow McSwa<strong>in</strong> to<br />
repeat such a claim without <strong>in</strong>terrogation or at least seek<strong>in</strong>g to verify it with evidence.<br />
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